Carriageworks has signalled an ambitious sea change, with the launch of its inaugural First Nations Program, which will take place throughout the rest of 2022.
The contemporary multi-arts organisation, which roosts in the cavernous reclaimed industrial site of Eveleigh Rail Yards, is already Sydney’s go-to destination for the most progressive new large-scale installation works, theatre, dance and markets. And now, under the leadership of the first director of First Nations programs, Jacob Boehme (Narangga/Kaurna), Carriageworks is undergoing a renewal that is embedding First Nations governance and cultural perspectives at the heart of the organisation.
Party | Protest | Remember is a dynamic, new program consisting of three separate yet interconnected events that celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Black Theatre. In 1972 a group of dedicated Aboriginal activists came together on the streets of Redfern to create change. Alongside the establishment of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, they created Redfern’s first self-determined Aboriginal theatre company.
Jacob Boheme says: “[2022] also marks 35 years since the formation of a Royal Commission to investigate the causes of deaths of Aboriginal people, 30 years since the Mabo decision and five years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was established. We want to honour this with a free and inclusive program that invites the community to gather to remember and celebrate these significant moments in history.”
Starting with Protest on Thursday, September 22, Carriageworks will present a citizen’s assembly style forum led by author and Uluru Statement from the Heart campaigner Thomas Mayor. This community event will focus on The Referendum Council’s call for a constitutionally entrenched First Nations Voice to Parliament through the Uluru Statement from the Heart, giving the community the opportunity to discuss why we do/don't need a First Nations Voice to Parliament and what it means to us all.
On Thursday, October 6, Carriageworks will present Remember, a free screening of Darlene Johnson's The Redfern Story, a documentary that follows the efforts of this historic group who brought the cause of First Nations peoples to public notice through activism and theatre, as a first step towards gaining land rights and better treatment. The screening will be accompanied by a panel discussion led by acclaimed actor and director Shari Sebbens to dream the next 50 years of Blak Theatre.
For Party on Saturday, November 12, Carriageworks will be taken over for a free, precinct-wide, all ages celebration of First Nations’ live music, performance, drag and digital arts. Three stages will be set up throughout the precinct, with a drag and disco stage hosted by First Nations drag icon Nana Miss Koori, a stage dedicated to artists from the Solid Ground program curated by choreographer Neville Williams-Boney, and an experimental music stage curated by Carriageworks resident company Moogahlin Performing Arts. There will also be a dedicated making space where visitors will be invited to gather and join weaving circles, as well as music from DJ Benny Gold playing throughout the evening. The full program will be announced in early October.
After two near sell-out online editions, Southeast Aboriginal Arts Market returns from November 19-20 for its first physical edition since 2019. Curated by Hetti Perkins (Arrernte/Kalkadoon) and Jonathan Jones (Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi), the market celebrates the rich cultural inheritance and contemporary artistic expression of Aboriginal artists and practitioners of the south-east region of Australia. This year, the market brings together more than 30 independent Aboriginal artists and collectives with over 250 artworks for sale across ceramics, jewellery, weaving, carving, textiles, photography, painting and prints, with 100 per cent of proceeds going directly to the artists. The full program will be announced on 10 October.
Carriageworks is also home to a new First Nations Garden which was planted by local Elders from Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care and children from Redfern Jarjum College. Each month, they come together with Carriageworks First Nations Fellowship recipient Henrietta Baird (Kuku Yalandji/Yidinji) to share knowledge and cultivate stronger connections.